Top cornerback duos New England Patriots will face in 2021 season
The New England Patriots boast one of the best cornerback groups in the NFL. With 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, ballhawk J.C. Jackson and speedster Jonathan Jones, the Patriots’ defensive backfield has been a strength for several seasons.While the Pats have one of the best secondaries in the league, they will have to go up against some other strong secondaries during the 2021 season. Whether it’s Cam Newton or Mac Jones under center, here are five standout cornerback duos the Patriots will face this season.
Xavien Howard and Byron Jones make up one of the best -- and most expensive -- cornerback duos in all of football with the Miami Dolphins.
Howard restructured his deal in August after being named to the All-Pro first team in 2020. Howard certainly had a case for an increased salary after hauling in a league-high 10 interceptions.
Jones joined the Dolphins in 2020 on a five-year, $82.5 million deal after spending the first five years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He picked off two passes in his first season playing alongside Howard in Miami.
The Patriots begin and end their season against the Dolphins. They host the Dolphins in their season opener and cap off the regular season in Miami.
It takes something special to hold Patrick Mahomes under 10 points in a game, and that’s exactly what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense did in Super Bowl 55.
After giving up 269 receiving yards to Tyreek Hill earlier in the season, the Bucs’ secondary rebounded big time in the Super Bowl. While Tampa Bay is loaded with elite talent in the front seven and at the safety position, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis held their own with 11 combined tackles in the Super Bowl triumph.
Davis had four interceptions in 2020, while Murphy-Bunting had one. Davis is entering his fourth NFL season and Murphy-Bunting is entering his third, so both are still on the rise in Tampa Bay’s secondary.
The Patriots welcome the Bucs to Gillette Stadium for Sunday Night Football in Week 4 in one of the most-anticipated games of the season.
The Cleveland Browns ended an 18-year playoff drought in 2020 thanks to a new head coach, improved quarterback play and an outstanding defense from the trenches to the secondary.
Denzel Ward has solidified himself as one of the top cornerbacks in football. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie year and has hauled in multiple interceptions in each of his three NFL seasons.
Greedy Williams will look to build on a promising 2019 season when he returns to the field in 2021. After making 12 starts in his rookie season, he missed all of 2020 due to a shoulder injury.
In addition to the two aforementioned corners, the Browns brought in free agent Troy Hill and rookie Greg Newsome II to bolster the position group.
The Browns will come to Foxboro for a Week 10 matchup.
The Buffalo Bills skyrocketed up the AFC hierarchy in 2020 thanks to a booming passing attack with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. The 13-3 squad wasn’t too shabby defending the pass, either.
Tre’Davious White was named to the All-Pro second team after collecting three interceptions, 11 passes defended and 1.5 sacks. He also tied Stephon Gilmore and Anthony Harris for the league lead in interceptions with six in 2019.
Alongside White is Levi Wallace, who has picked off two passes in each of the last two seasons.
The Pats and Bills will face each other twice in a 20 days. They have a Monday Night Football matchup in Buffalo for Week 13 and meet again in Foxboro for Week 16.
The Indianapolis Colts’ defense played a major part in getting the team back to the playoffs in 2020.
Rhodes was a three-time Pro Bowler in Minnesota before joining the Colts in 2020. He bounced back from an interception-less 2019 by snagging two picks while starting all 16 games on Indianapolis’ eighth-ranked defense.
Moore II set career highs with four interceptions and 13 passes defended in 2020. He also scored his first NFL touchdown with a pick-six against the Detroit Lions.
The Pats return from their bye for a Week 15 game in Indianapolis.
